Film Room: Jackson Smith's high-end skill set could make him a top NHL defenceman

Archetypes – the modern NHL lineup is defined by them. 

For blueliners, there are shifty puck-movers, physical presences, rush-stoppers, offensive creators, and more.

The defencemen who blend multiple – or all – of these archetypes into their games are among the league’s rarest players. 

Jackson Smith could be one of them. 

A flashy, dynamic rusher with high-end creation skills, a physical shutdown defenceman who assertively defends the middle, and a clever puck-retrieving and distributor all in one, he’s capable of dominating both ends of the rink for shifts at a time.

And it doesn’t hurt that he has high-end mobility, size, and arguably the draft’s best highlight reel. 

The dynamic offensive defenceman 

There are very players who move like Smith, and even fewer defencemen. The usual superlative